1. Technical Field
Aspects of this document relate generally to phone and data end user interfaces and phone and data systems and techniques for pushing or swapping phone service to a different physical end-user phone.
2. Background Art
Telephone and data communication has become a required feature in the lives of people in industrialized countries. However, when users go to purchase a phone, they are generally of the mindset that they are picking “the phone” needed for their intended use and that they are stuck with that phone and its features until they purchase a new phone to replace the previous phone. As a result, purchasers generally over-purchase their phone so that it does everything the user can conceive they will ever need the phone to do for the next 2-4 years until a replacement phone is purchased. When picking data access devices, such as tablets and laptop computers, it is generally expected that the device will have its own account for accessing a cellular network data stream, the Internet and data communications or will be enabled with Wi-Fi access hardware.
Particularly with purchasing mobile phones, phone purchasers, if they can afford it, generally purchase a smart phone with processor capability that is further expanded through the use of downloadable applications to expand the functionality of the device. Where phone purchasers run into problems, however, is that their ultimate phone is generally not intended for use during all activities. Due to the cost of a smart phone, many users do not want to use their expensive smart phone during many activities due to the risk of physical damage, water damage, loss or theft. Some activities do not make carrying a relatively large smart phone convenient.
For data access devices, a user is currently required to sign up for a cellular data network account for the specific device, with an associated monthly fee, to give the device access to the cellular data stream.